Well, here we are. The last of the
Nolan Batman films has arrived. I know a lot of you are still to see
it, so this will be as spoiler-free as possible. I will not talk
about the ending, or the twists. The closest I will come to a spoiler
is going over the story references I caught (not all of them, mind
you). With that, let us begin.
Eight years after the events of The
Dark Knight, Gotham is prospering, thanks to organized crime being
virtually eradicated. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has retired from
being Batman, and has remained at Wayne Manor all this time. But when
the mercenary, Bane (Tom Hardy) shakes things up in Gotham, the
Batman makes his presence known once again.
Yeah, that's pretty much the abridged
version, but I think by now if you don't know what the basics for the
movie are, it's because you don't care.
It's fair to say I've been waiting for
this movie for a long time. Like, since 2008. Literally, since the
day after The Dark Knight. So, hype was already high long before I
saw the movie.
And you know what? It exceeded my
expectations and then some. Not that I knew what to expect, but it
was still a sight to behold and more.
Even though there's less for Gary
Oldman and Morgan Freeman to do, they still bring their A-game to the
table, with Oldman getting one of my absolute fave scenes in which he
said Batman was his best friend. It warmed my cynical heart to hear
such a thing.
Christian Bale spent more time out of
the Batsuit, and that gave a greater focus on Bruce Wayne as a
composite of the boy Alfred raised and the Batman persona. Bale has
always delivered a solid performance and he's certainly not phoning
it in here.
As for the new players: Anne Hathaway
as Catwoman, a well casted role. Oozing confidence, charisma and
likability, she plays off well against Bale when the two are just
getting to know each other as Selina and Bruce, and she's a fierce
fighter in her Catwoman gear (also, the blonde girl played by Juno
Temple that hangs around with her? Totally Holly Robinson, am I
right?)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a pretty damn
good character, having good deductive skills, and is seemingly
unmovable in his ideals. He makes a great cop and his scenes with
Bale are nicely done.
Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate... it takes a while
to get into her character. She doesn't do so much at first, but as
time goes on, she becomes more bearable.
But the big new performance of note is
Tom Hardy as Bane. Completely undoing the last attempt at a live
action Bane (I prefer to call him “Ralph Wiggum on steroids”),
Tom Hardy's is brutal, menacing and actually somewhat funny (the
stadium scene. Before blowing it up, he comments on what a lovely
voice the child singing the national anthem has). One reviewer down
here referred to him as the “minister of sinister” and that's
actually a pretty accurate description. Much like the comics, he's a
mighty mental and physical challenge for the Caped Crusader, which makes for
a mean combination.
However, if there's one performance
that eclipses all others, it's Michael Caine as Alfred. Despite a
smaller role, his is the most emotional, and I damn well nearly cried
at certain scenes. You, sir, are a living legend. Never leave us.
The film actually ties in more with
Batman Begins than The Dark Knight, mostly with the mentions of Ra's
Al Ghul, the “why do we fall?” theme returning, but its biggest
connection to The Dark Knight is Harvey Dent and the truth
surrounding the events of his death. It's a good choice to connect to
the first film, as it brings up things we may have forgotten over
time.
Action-wise, it's astonishing. Bane's
beatdown with Batman, the Batwing (yeah they call it The Bat, but I
think Batwing is cooler) in battle, but the best of all is the huge
criminal vs. cop brawl, with Batman and Bane gearing up for round
two. Now THAT'S an action sequence. Not loads and loads of guns and
explosions, just good ol' fashioned fisticuffs with hundreds and
hundreds of people (see Gangs Of New York for something similar).
Also, I love the choice for stories
that the Nolans have cherry-picked aspects from: The Dark Knight
Returns (Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement), Knightfall (the first
Batman and Bane battle) and No Man's Land (Gotham cut off from the
world) just to name a few. All are classic stories in the Batman
mythology so to see them get a mention is wonderful for a long time
Batman fan like me.
Surprisingly, I've heard very little in
terms of people bitching that this isn't as good as The Dark Knight.
And really, does it matter? Does everything always have to be bigger
and better? Can't it just be good on its own? And with a movie like
this, calling it “good” is a slap in the face to the movie.
So, as you've guessed, it's the number
one film for me this year so far. To Christopher Nolan, the cast, the
crew, everyone involved: you've created a triumphant and terrific
trilogy. We will forever be grateful for what you've done for the
Dark Knight Detective. I know you said this was the last but if you
ever do decide you have one more film in you, I'll be there. Hell,
I'll be there regardless of what Nolan does next. The keys to the
kingdom should be his. He redefined the game a long time ago. No,
wait, scratch that: he BECAME the game. The one to beat. Batman
Begins showed how a reboot can not only work but be acclaimed. The
Dark Knight utterly shattered expectations not just for comic book
movies, but blockbuster films. And The Dark Knight Rises shows how
you end a trilogy: with the biggest bang you can muster. 4.5/5
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